Hyderabad: Gridlocks in sub-roads throw traffic into a tizzy

Hyderabad: Gridlocks in sub-roads, inner-lanes, colonies and small junctions across the city has become a major issue interrupting the traffic flow. Vehicles are especially stuck during the peak hours as there are no traffic police deployed in these junctions to ensure free flow of traffic. The City Police's Operation Rope only seems to be followed only on the main roads, but the inner-lanes and small junctions have been ignored leading to heavy traffic jams.

Though the civic and police authorities installed signals in various junctions, none of them are bothered to follow traffic rules leading to traffic congestion during peak hour. Commuters and locals have blamed the traffic police for not regulating the traffic at least in the peak hours. Various sub-roads across the city including Nampally, Vijay Nagar Colony, Mehdipatnam, Tolichowki, Goshamahal, Begum Bazar and many others encounter back-to-back gridlocks. Residents allege that despite many complaints to concerned authorities no solution has been taken up to ease traffic flow. According to locals, as commuters ignore following the traffic rules during peak hours it leads to bottlenecks. On many occasions, the locals and shopkeepers are forced to play the role of traffic police to clear traffic jams. "We have repeatedly requested to deploy traffic police in these areas but all fell in deaf ears. The entire stretch from Nampally to Vijay Nagar Colony and Mehdipatnam witness gridlocks and slow-moving traffic from morning till evening. We residents are frustrated with the daily chaos in the area," said Shaik Nizam, a resident of Red Hills.

Lodh Ved Singh, who runs a wooden business in Goshamahal said "This road needs to be widened as the number of roads plying in the area has increased. Also, encroachments should also be removed to ensure free flow of traffic. Due to encroachments and narrow main roads, commuters enter inner-lanes of the area resulting in gridlocks. We have to wait for hours in traffic jams as there are no signals and many violators."

Adding fuel to the issue is illegal encroachments by shops and vendors on the main carriageway and lack of traffic signals. "The police should not only focus on main roads and junctions and impose violation challans but should also intensify traffic rules in sub-roads and remove encroachments like illegal parking and pushcarts to ensure smooth flow of traffic," said Vamshidhar, a resident of Ameerpet.

As there are no traffic police deployed to direct the traffic many times the commuters are forced to play the role of traffic police. "We cannot blame the traffic cops either because there are no traffic signals or road markings. If traffic cops do come in, there is no place for them to even stand and direct the flow," added another resident of the area.

However, the GHMC claims that to prevent vehicular accidents, signal systems were improved along with traffic regularisation and junction developments. Also, the development junctions at 12 places in the city were taken with an estimated cost of Rs 35 crore but still the traffic chaos in sub-lanes has not been solved. Daily during peak hours, a local or a shopkeeper is seen performing a rule of traffic police," pointed Mohammed Ahmed, an activist.